The Stinky Sorcerer
by Ivypool2005
Summary: The Stinky Sorcerer has risen once again, and it is up to Harry and Hermione to stop him! If you are wondering why I didn't put Ron, you will find out... I'M SORRY PEOPLE! THIS IS OVER! I STOPPED WRITING! I might continue later, but for now I really just don't want to keep writing.
1. Chapter 1

It was a quiet day at the Ministry of Magic. Harry Potter had just invited Ron over to his office for a game of chess, since nothing was happening.

"Rook to E2," said Ron, and his miniature black horse scraped across the board. "Check."

"Bishop to E2." Harry laughed gleefully as the bishop brutally knocked the knight's head off. Ron cursed and slapped Harry across the face. He opened his mouth to make another move when they heard a voice from the door.

"How many times have I told you that wizard's chess is _barbaric_?"

The two young men jumped, scattering pieces all over the floor. They settled down only when they turned and saw Hermione standing in the doorway, arms folded and with an unimpressed expression on her face.

"Hermione! Didn't see you walk in," said Harry. "Got a new case for us?"

"Yes! In fact, I do," she replied. "Took me quite a while to get Kingsley to let you two handle it. Apparently, you haven't been working too hard lately. Normally, I wouldn't go out of my way to please you, but it's something I think you'll really like. Also, I've been dying to give you some work." Hermione brought out a file folder from behind her back, grinning.

"What's so special about this case?" Ron asked, still annoyed that Hermione had interrupted their game. His annoyance disappeared, however, when she whispered it in his ear.

"It's about the _Stinky Sorcerer."_

"WHAT?" he and Harry shouted at the same time.

"Yes," said an exasperated Hermione. He's been causing some odd activity in the Forest of Arendelle. You know, where you met those magical rock trolls."

"Ohhhh," said Ron and Harry, again at the same time.

Hermione opened the file folder. "Here are pictures of the forest after it was hit. There's a strange green haze and a report filed from one of the trolls says that it smells like rotten eggs and sulfur. This must be the work of the Stinky Sorcerer!"

The three of them flipped through the pictures and reports, and came to a consensus. It was the Stinky Sorcerer, alright.

"We have to go after him!" Harry and Hermione agreed.

"I-I'll stay right here," Ron laughed nervously. "I have a - a sensitive nose. And besides, I have lots of important things to do here in the office. Like making a sandwich. Ham or salami? I mean, it doesn't really matter. Perhaps I'll have both. Or three sandwiches. Three sounds good." Ron settled down into a chair, blabbering nonsense to himself. Harry and Hermione sighed.

"I guess we'll have to go after him all by ourselves."

"DUN DUN DUN!"

"It's not like I really care, anyway. He's a good companion, but useless otherwise. You know - Harry, what are you doing?"

Harry was now yelling, "DRUMROLL, PLEASE!" and banging his fists on the table. When he saw Hermione staring at him, he stopped and started fidgeting with his hair. "I, um, got a little, carried away. Yeah."

The woods were deathly quiet. The only sounds came from Harry and Hermione trying to breathe with clips on their noses. The odiferous green fog had spread through the entire forest, making the two travelers hold their noses and, as a result, speak in strange accents.

"Istht thtinky!"

"Whath?"

"Istht THTINKY!" And so on. But for your benefit, we will write this as if they were speaking normally.

They had been walking for mere minutes when Harry and Hermione came across a clearing scattered with moss-covered boulders. "Ah!" said Hermione. "We can surely find some answers here!" She walked up to one of the rocks and tapped on it. "Hello! We're here to help you. Please come out so we can talk!" Harry soon followed suit. Finally, when it seemed that all hope was lost, they heard a rough voice from the other end of the clearing.

"What do you want?"

Harry and Hermione started. They turned around to see that one of the trolls had woken up. He was about four feet tall and was wearing a majestic green cape. Hermione replied, "Oh! Hello there! Yes, we were looking for information about the Stinky Sorcerer. We thought he might have passed by here." She wrinkled her nose, though it was hard to do because of the clip. "If you'll help us, we can stop him." She looked at the big troll (for if you think about it, four feet is actually rather large for a rock troll) with a hopeful expression. Both she and Harry sighed in relief when he nodded in consent.

"We can give you this information about your Stinky Sorcerer. But there is something that we want, too."

"That's all right, just say the word and we can get it to you. What do you want? Gold?" Harry asked hopefully. "I have plenty of gold."

"Us trolls have no use for this 'gold.' What we want is much more valuable, and much more rare, for there is only one in the world. What we want is -" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "What we want is - the _Troll Jewel_."

"Never heard of it."

"Harry!" Hermione slapped him in the face. He rubbed his sore cheek. Hermione continued, "The Troll Jewel was the crown jewel of the magical rock trolls until the early 1800's. It's a huge emerald, and, as our friend here said, one of a kind. There are no other Troll Jewels in the world.

"Until that fateful day in 1804, the trolls lived in harmony and peace, free and away from their brutish cousins, the lesser trolls, who, though they are much larger, have much less brain capacity than these fine fellows." With that, she gave the rock troll a wink. "The Troll Jewel, kept in the capital troll city in the middle of the Forest of Arendelle, kept the trolls safe and the mushrooms plentiful, for the Jewel has magical properties that were meant to keep the species alive forever.

"Unfortunately, there are some people who are enemies of the trolls, and it was them who stole the Jewel. They organized a raiding party, though it was not necessary. It was midnight, and all the trolls were asleep and unknowing. They would not be ignorant for long.

"The next morning, the trolls discovered the Jewel to be missing! They searched the forest around their camp, but they could not find anything. The thieves did not know of the secret properties of the Troll Jewel, so they sold it off to a trading empire called Weselton, also called Weaseltown. Typical name for such a town, for that is where all the thieves and scoundrels do their trading," Hermione added with a scoff. "Soon after, horrible things started happening to them, not just in the capital, but all over the Forest of Arendelle. Disease, and wild animals. The mushrooms stopped growing and many trolls died of starvation and sickness. It was all because the Troll Jewel that had been protecting them all this time was gone."

The troll in front of them was nodding his head sadly. "It is true," he said. "We have been hunted almost to extinction. This is one of the last troll colonies left, and even we are a pitiful sight." He sighed, then gestured to the boulders. "Have you heard the saying, 'Strength in numbers?' We do not have numbers, nor strength. That is why we must regain the Jewel. If we get it back, we will not need to scrounge for every mushroom. We will not need to keep a fire going every night if we are safe from animals. I will not have to watch a child die of sickness again. I will not have to look upon my dwindling tribe and sigh because I know we have no hope.

"That is why."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. They knew what they had to do.

"We'll do it."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"This is it!" Hermione nearly shouted, knocking over her towers of books. "I've found it!"

"You found the Jewel?"

"What? No, of course not."

"Oh."

"But I did find this." Hermione led Harry to her desk. Behind the stacks of books was a thin, silver device. It was open and had a grainy picture of a mountain on the top piece. The bottom had a series of bumps on it, each with a different letter or number. Harry had never seen anything like it before.

"Whoa, what's that?" he asked.

Hermione laughed. "This is a laptop. Muggles have all sorts of useful devices like this. And look at this!" She tapped a large rectangle, and the screen changed. Now the picture was an article. Harry gasped. It said that a large emerald had been stolen from the trolls two hundred years ago. They already knew that. The surprising part was that the thief had been caught with the Jewel a year ago but escaped. Hermione slid her fingers across the rectangle, and the screen moved down until a picture was showing. The picture was shadowy and unclear, but Harry could tell that it was a cloaked man. He could also tell that the man was missing a nose.

Hermione was rambling on. "If we can just find out who this is, then find out _where_ he is, then find out how to get the Jewel from him, we're set. I realize it's not much to go on, but -"

"It's Lord Voldemorte!"

"What?"

"Lord Voldemorte! Look, he's missing a nose." Harry pointed at the picture.

"He is! Well, that's one question solved. Where is he hiding?" she pondered to herself. "Oh! I forgot, I found something else." She tapped again, and another article appeared. According to the article, Lord Voldemorte had been sighted in a cave on a mountain Harry didn't want to try to pronounce. Hermione laughed.

"Fate is on our side!"

"I don't believe in Fate," Harry said.

"Fine, Google is on our side."

"What's Google?"

"Whatever. But this will be dangerous. Before we go, we need to have a backup plan."

"Why don't we send Ron out before us, to warn us if there's any danger?"

"Eh, sure, why not?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had quite possibly chosen the windiest day of the year to visit Lord Voldemorte. Luckily, Hermione cast a bubble of warmth around them. Even though they were out of the cold, Ron complained the whole way, so much that Harry and Hermione were thinking about putting clothespins on their _ears_.

"Are we there yet? I'm hungry. I'm tired. I'm hungry. My legs hurt. I'm hungry."

"Ronald Weasley, will you ever stop thinking about food? And you just had a ham sandwich."

"I'm still hungry!"

However, after a while, the complaints stopped. Perhaps he had gotten it out of his system, or maybe he was just saving his breath. It was then that Harry realized something.

"Couldn't we have just apparated?"

"Oh," Hermione said. "I - didn't think of that. Do you want to apparate?"

"Nah, we're almost there." They kept walking.

After a little while more, they came to a dark cave in the side of the mountain. _This must be it_ , the three friends thought. But before they could set foot in the cave, a giant bear ran out at them! They screamed and ran away. It didn't seem like the bear was chasing them, though, so they eventually stopped, panting. Harry checked behind them one last time, then realized something.

"Where's Ron?"

"Oh, no! He must have fallen behind. What if the bear got him?" They slowly made their way back around the mountain, calling his name. Harry realized something else.

"Why is there a path all the way around the mountain?"

"Voldemorte probably wanted easy access to his cave."

"Couldn't he have apparated?"

"Who knows why he does anything?"

"Fair enough." They kept searching for Ron. They were beginning to think they wouldn't find anything when they saw him slowly walking up the path towards them, hunched over. At first, they thought he was injured, but then they realized that he was panting.

"Ron! We've been looking all over for you!" Ron looked up and saw them. He grinned.

"Must - have - been - that sandwich," he said. Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

They finally got to the top of the mountain. They could see from far away that the top ended in a large flat space with something on top, but they couldn't see what was on top.

"This has to be it," Harry said. "Ron, go up there and take a look around."

"Why can't it be you?"

"If you don't do it, Hermione will take away her charm for high altitudes and you will die."

Ron took the last few steps towards the top. He turned to call back to them. Suddenly, a voice shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

Ron tumbled off the cliff until he was out of sight.

Harry and Hermione shared a glance. "That's unfortunate."

They slowly peeked over the crest. To their surprise, the only thing that seemed to be there was a large pot of soup, a ladle, and three bowls. Hermione cautiously hoisted Harry up, and when nothing happened, she clambered up beside him. All was quiet. "We have to be as careful as possible, okay? Voldemorte is unpredictable - and powerful," Hermione whispered.

"Well, I am kind of hungry…"

"Ugh, whatever." They both went to the pot of soup and ladled some into two of the bowls. While Harry slurped his down with relish, Hermione was suspicious. "Something isn't right here. Those bowls were set out like - like he knew we were coming." She set down her bowl. "I don't like it."

Suddenly, they heard a rasping voice behind them.

"Sssaving sssome for me?"


	3. Chapter 3

Harry and Hermione whipped around, Harry slopping soup all over himself. A dark figure stood on the other side of the sheer cliff, half of it cloaked in shadow. As it stepped into the light, they realised that it was a man.

A man with no nose.

"Hello," Lord Voldemorte said, in that horribly familiar slithery voice. "I've been expecting you." He grinned lopsidedly, so that they could see his snaggly yellow teeth. And there was a new addition, though it was hard to tell the difference at first from the general yellow color. He had a gold tooth.

Seeing that Harry and Hermione had noticed, he fingered the tooth. "Ah, yes, you've noticed. You see, I didn't just lose a nose that fateful day in the cave. I also lost a tooth. And I had this golden one implanted as an eternal reminder of how you two have wronged me, and a vow to get revenge." His voice had dropped to a menacing whisper. There was a slight pause, a stalemate in which neither side knew what to do or say. Then:

"Well, where are my manners? Introductions, everyone. You can call me Voldemorte, but my full name is Lord Voldemorte the Great and Powerful, Ruler of Darkness and Scourge of the Magical World. And who are you? Just saying," he added lightly, "I already know your names. But for the purpose of this excercise, won't you tell them to me again?"

Harry and Hermione simply stood frozen on the edge of the cliff, shocked. Once they realised that he wasn't about to kill them, Hermione gathered up the nerve to speak.

"Why did you kill Ron?"

It seemed like they had finally caught Voldemorte off guard. His eyebrows shot up, and he stammered as he explained. "Well - I only had three bowls, you know. And speaking of that, I was serious. Is there any soup left?" he asked, looking eager to change the subject.

"Fair enough," said Harry with a shrug, though Hermione still looked suspicous. "And yes, there's some soup left in the pot." He gestured to the half-full cauldron behind them.

"Thanks."

After Voldemorte had eaten his fill (only half a bowl - apparently dark wizards don't eat very much) he began to speak.

"What brings you here, young ones? Why do you seek the great Lord Voldemorte?"

"We know you have the Troll Jewel, Voldemorte. Just hand it over and we'll let you go free," Harry said cockily, extending his hand. Behind him, Hermione pointed her wand at Voldemorte's chest. He chuckled softly.

"And what makes you think I'll do that? Kindness? Honor? Ha!" and he laughed again. "I'm a dark wizard, and dark wizards have neither. Perhaps for greed, though…" He looked meaningfully at the two young people, still nearly children. He saw the twin looks of fear and doubt pass across their faces, and he knew that he could make them do anything. After all, children are meant to be manipulated and cheated, because children will not grow up simply by a year passing by. Children will not grow up because they are told so.

Children must learn to grow up, even if it takes them their whole lives.

"What do you need?" Harry asked, and he looked at Hermione again with that innocent childlike look of fear. And Voldemorte saw that, and he knew that they were still children after all.

"Let us sit and talk, perhaps have another bowl of soup," he said generously, picking up his own half-empty bowl and gesturing to the unforgiving stone next to him.

And then he turned away, and, hidden under his dark cowl, he smiled.

"Now we have eaten, and I will tell you what I need," Lord Voldemorte said, placing his bowl down. He had not eaten any soup himself, but instead watched curiously as Harry and Hermione ate. Presently they finished up and turned their wide, childish eyes upon him. His tone turned dark and dangerous. "You will remember that I swore to get revenge on you two one day. Keep in mind, as I explain your task, that if you are to refuse or fail, I will carry through on my promise." His voice turned light again, and Harry realised that his unpredictability was what was so terrifying about him.

"I need a nose."

Harry began to laugh, assuming it was a joke. Only when Hermione and Voldemorte failed to join in did he understand that it, in fact, wasn't. "You can't be serious!"

"My boy, I am completely serious. And let me finish. As I was _saying_ ," he continued, "I need a nose. And to get a nose, I need another soul."

"Actually -" Hermione interjected -

"I know there are easier ways, but this is the punishment I have chosen for you. Refuse and you will die!" he shouted. In a split second, he was placid once more. "Now, no more interruptions.

"The easiest way to get a soul is to create a Horcrux. But of course, _I_ can't do it. And I wouldn't want to force you to create one…" He pretended to ponder the situation. "But someone else…"

"Who is a person we don't like very much, who won't lose much by killing someone, and

will be okay with it?" Hermione asked.

They looked at each other, the answer shining in their eyes like the reflection of stars in a moonlit pool.

"Malfoy."

They stood up and wrapped their cloaks around themselves. It was sunset by now, and one of the most beautiful sunsets either of them had ever seen. The sky was a deep purple-orange, dappled with ocean and sun and starlight and earth in all its glory. From the top of the mountain, Harry and Hermione could see the forest, and beyond that, little lights flickering off in little toy houses. On the other side, the other mountains cut jagged dark silhouettes into the darkening sky, only distinguishable by the absence of stars, so that in some places the mountains and the sky merged and you could not tell the difference.

And all around was the sky - the never-ending sky. It was one of those rare evenings where you can see the sun and the moon and the stars all at the same time, all of them independent, never conflicting, but exceptionally beautiful when put together.

There was the sky all around them, and soon, they had disappeared into it.

For after all, Harry and Hermione were still just children, and they had not yet learned how to grow up.


End file.
